Donate to a Worthy Cause by Spring Cleaning Your Closet

Spring cleaning your closet can be a Herculean task. Not only is it a big job to take on, but it’s hard to part with sentimental favorites (even if you haven’t worn them in five years). And even if you work from home now, all those suits you spent a fortune on are difficult to just give away.

What if cleaning out your closet could not only de-clutter your living space, but help those in need? Do you think it would be easier to get rid of those too tight/too big/too old clothes taking up precious shelf space?

The good news is there are good homes waiting for your precious cargo. Here are some organizations that will make spring cleaning your closet easy and fun.

Eyeglasses: Donate used sunglasses and prescription glasses at any Sunglass Hut store when spring cleaning your closet. These will go to OneSight, an organization that will clean and refurbish your used eye wear and deliver it to one of their global eye care clinics. No Sunglass Hut near you? You can drop off your unwanted eyeglasses to a Lions Club donation box in your community or mail them to the headquarters.

Shoes: Donate gently used shoes to ShareYourSoles.org and they will go to people around the world, some who have never owned a single pair. The organization has delivered more than 2 million pairs of shoes in the last 14 years.

Jackets:One Warm Coat will take those bulky, closet-hogging jackets off your hand. Most coat drives occur in fall and winter, so it may be tough to offload them in spring. Use One Warm Coat’s agency locator to find a coat drive near you and contact them to see if they’re still accepting donations.

Professional Attire: Find a location through the Women’s Alliance and donate your interview-appropriate women’s clothing when spring cleaning your closet. The Women’s Alliance helps family’s transition away from welfare and poverty. One of the ways they do this is by making sure they have access to professional attire so they can seek and maintain employment.

Purses:Handbags of Hope fills purses with hairbrushes, wallets and manicure sets, then gives them to women and teens in shelter situations. You can also donate your gently used (still stylish) handbags to Change Purse. They resell donations and use the money to help victims and survivors of sex trafficking.

Clothing: Eighty-five percent of clothing in the U.S. ends up in landfills, according to Clothes4Souls. Why not donate it? Clothing will go to those in need and to create jobs in poor and disadvantaged communities. Bring donations to a Clothes4Souls’ Blue Bin near you. They accept shoe donations, too.